Anyone can make jewelry, you don't have to go to school. For the cleverest designs, you just have to think outside the box!

April 30, 2013

Book Review: Making Metal Jewelry by Jen Cushman

When it comes to jewelry making, everyone has to start someplace. Whether you want to do resin, mixed media, metal, wire, polymer clay....there is a perfect book for you as a beginner. As a beginner, you DO need books!

If you want to work with metal, and you haven't done it yet..... or maybe, you have! but aren't good with it.....or are still unsure of yourself, afraid of metal working tools, et al....THIS is the book you buy.

I was checking some of the reviews on this book this morning. I noted that one reader said she'd only dabbled, and truly had no clue WHAT to do.....and that *this* book was an answer to a jewelry-maker's prayer.

Another said they had taken some major classes from professionals yet had not been encouraged by the classes. They had found no joy in them and felt defeated. This book opened a new door for them and helped them find that joy.

Personally, I need EASY in a book like this. I need photos of stuff I might actually, remotely be tempted as someone with rudimentary skills, to make. Jen combines her knowledge of mixed media and resin work (she is also author of EXPLORE, CREATE, RESINATE---the Resin Bible) with many years around the bench and puts it all together in an enticing, tasty mix. After reading the intro and browsing a few projects, you just want to get up, go to your workbench, take the few tools you have and GO FOR IT.

Your project may, in the long run, not come out ANYTHING like what is in the book. NO WORRIES! It is not about making precise wraps, cuts, doing the work in a straight line. Do you think the very first jewelry makers made museum quality work?

Oh HA.

And neither will you.

The *point* is to get some good advice on some good tools (that's in there), how to use them safely (that's in there) and some easy ideas on how whip out a project the first day so that you can get a sense of gratification (in there, too.)

The book IS available at discount at Amazon, but let me just throw *this* out there to ya:

Any time you can get a hand-signed copy of a book, I'd like to encourage you to go that route. It's just good for your creative heart. For me, it's like getting just a tiny bit of the author/teacher's DNA along with the book.

You can also check the website above for Jen's teaching schedule.

Jen Cushman is also the Director of Education and Marketing for Susan Lenart Kazmer, ICE Resin.